Are you wondering how you (or your high school students) are going to spend some of those countless weeks of summer? Are you looking for a unique, exciting, hands-on experience that can nourish your interest in archaeology and history? The Fairfield Foundation summer internship program could be the place for you! With over 120 interns during our first 13 years, this is one of the Fairfield Foundation’s most successful educational outreach programs. High School juniors and seniors, undergrads from community colleges and universities, graduate students, and some folks just looking to enhance their resumes and expand their horizons, spend between one and three weeks (sometimes longer) working alongside staff members learning the nuts and bolts of archaeology, historic research, non-profit management, and the day-to-day challenges of studying and preserving our past. Internships are scheduled throughout the year, although summer is our busiest season. Whether for practical experience, or to try something they’ve always wanted to try, perhaps inspired by Indiana Jones or a lifelong fascination with history, the chance to “do” archaeology is what attracts most interns. You can design your own research project, learn how to write grants, participate in hands-on preservation, help us get closer to our goal of restoring a 1930s service station into our Center for Archaeology, Preservation and Education, or learn the basics of archaeology in the field and lab.
Not only is this a wonderful learning experience for interns, but it is also extremely rewarding for us here at the Fairfield Foundation. Each year, despite sometimes intense heat and humidity, our ever changing mix of interns consistently impresses us with their energy and motivation to learn. After the summer intern season has wrapped up we find ourselves reflecting on the group of young students who have spent time with us, and each year we are inspired, motivated, and rejuvenated by them!
Interested? Take a look at the brochure and application detailing our program. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you, your teenager, your student, or a friend might be interested in learning more about our internships! Summer internships are popular, and although we can offer help with housing, it is limited – so apply early to ensure your spot!
Here’s what some of our interns from last summer had to say about their experience:
“I had an amazing experience with wonderful people and interesting research last summer as an intern!” – Sierra Roark, 2013
“Interning at Fairfield was incredible. Learning about all of the different types of things that the Foundation does in addition to working on-site and doing excavations was one of my favorite parts of the internship! In addition to the diversity of the sites that Fairfield works on, the variety of projects is immense- within one week, I spent one day organizing and cataloguing a collection of family documents, another day at the cemetery at White Marsh Plantation, and another preparing Fairfield itself for a workshop the following week. The complete experience has inspired me to learn more about historical archaeology, and I can’t wait to go back next summer!” – Ellie Palazzolo, 2013
The internship program is at the core of the Fairfield Foundation’s mission of promoting and conducting archaeology, preservation and education activities within Virginia’s Middle Peninsula and surrounding areas. Helping our interns to prepare for careers in history, archaeology, preservation and related fields; providing an opportunity for students to learn about and participate in many activities that enhance and promote the history and cultural heritage of the Middle Peninsula and beyond; or even just providing interns with a memorable summer experience – each of these is an important part of our goal of keeping history alive through community involvement and education!
This is your opportunity to be a part of history. Not to mention, nothing beats getting your hands dirty, so apply now!
